


Our Bonded Souls

by laadychat



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Eventual Smut, F/M, Modern AU, NaNoWriMo 2020, Slow Burn, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Zutara, build up since this will hit at least 50000 words, but also like, there's gonna be hella fluff, twin flames, zutara deserves it
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-02
Updated: 2020-12-20
Packaged: 2021-03-09 05:20:22
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,023
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27345709
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/laadychat/pseuds/laadychat
Summary: The world has forgotten what it meant to be markless. It has been a long time since they have been seen. Their stories long forgotten, their history long erased. The markless do not have the print of their soulmates on their skin but they are far from being unmarked.The son of the nutorious Ozai Yaoka was markless but unlike what the world thinks, he isn't heart, uncapable of love. But he didn't care enough to change their minds. Many didn't want to talk to him since he didn't have their soulmark.It was rumored that another person, born of the Water Tribe had no soulmate mark but the tribesman kept it to themselves, lest their own come into harm. But Katara had other plans than to stay at home in her community.She didn't think getting rejected from an internship and having a breakdown in a random coffee would set the chain of events that would change her life into motion.
Relationships: Aang/Toph Beifong, Katara/Zuko (Avatar), Mai/Ty Lee (Avatar), Sokka/Suki (Avatar)
Comments: 32
Kudos: 130





	1. Chapter 1

Zuko was very good at minding his own business.

But for some reason, the woman sitting in the corner of the cafe kept catching his attention. He couldn’t help but look over at her whenever he heard a sniffle, whenever she would drop her head on the table. And it confused him, how distracted from his work he was because of this woman. 

There were plenty of times he was able to ignore his surroundings but when she dropped her head for the fourth time, he shut his laptop with a sigh. He wasn’t going to get much done, not when his mind was on her. She was a few tables down, her brown mane sprawled out around her as she buried her head in her arm. A laptop was open in front of her and he was surprised to find himself wondering what made her upset.

He started packing up, deciding to finish his work in his quiet apartment when he found his gaze traveling over at her once again. She sat up from her hunched position and her hair was now tied up, giving him a side view of her face. Usually, Zuko wouldn’t have bothered with anyone and certainly not someone he didn’t know but something about her was urging Zuko to break from his normalcy. When she looked at her empty cup with dissatisfaction, he made up his mind. Getting up from his seat, he walked over to the register, noticing the concern glances the baristas were throwing at her before she turned to smile at him.

“Hey there! What can I get for ya?”

When he came up to the counter, it was with the thought of getting the distressed woman a drink but he wasn’t sure what to actually get her. Did she like coffee? Tea? What temperature did she like her drink to be? Gaze darting towards her, he noticed the cup in front of her was clear and there was a straw sticking out of it. 

“I would like an iced caramel macchiato,” he answered, his gaze still on her. He wasn’t sure if she would like it but it felt like a safe choice for him. “And a red velvet cupcake.” He added as a second thought. He was almost ashamed to also know she hasn’t eaten anything since he walked into the cafe about two hours ago. 

The barista rang him up. “Coming right up.”

He wasn’t purposely spying on her or anything. There was just something about her that was drawing his attention and for some reason, the fact that she was so clearly upset wasn’t sitting well with him. If this was any other thing, Zuko would pause, would wonder why he was feeling such things but instead, he wasn’t worried. _That_ within itself should have raised flags but he shrugged it off. 

She might not even like the drink or the dessert but Zuko had already made up his mind when he ordered and it wouldn’t be like him to go back once he started something.

Grabbing the drink and food, he walked up to her, arching his lone brow when he saw how determined she suddenly looked, her eyes focused on the laptop screen in front of her.

Setting the cup and plate down next to arms, he watched with amusement as she looked over at them with confusion before they trailed up to his eyes. Being this close to her, he noticed how blue her eyes were, a rarity in this big city.

“I don’t think I ordered this?” She furrowed her eyebrows, glancing down at the items before looking back up at him and Zuko shrugged.

“I know but it looked like you were having a rough day. Some sweets and a good drink always make me feel a bit better after a hard time, so,” he gestured towards the drink and food, a smile tugging on his lips as he saw the understanding flash in her eyes.

But the smile disappeared immediately when she leaned back in her chair, her gaze guarded. “I hope you’re not expecting me to tell you about my tragic day or give you my number.” Her tone was flat, unimpressed and it blindsided him.

This time, it was Zuko’s turn to be confused, wondering just why she would think he would ask for such things. He doesn’t know what he was expecting when he placed the things on her table but getting her number was one of the last things on his mind. Getting her the coffee and dessert were already abnormal for him - asking her, a total stranger - their number would be the icing on the cake. But from the way she was sizing him up as if prepared to snap if he so much as uttered such words, made him think this was something she had to experience often.

Not wanting to add to her stress, Zuko shook his head, hearing the puzzlement in his voice. “No, that isn’t any of my business. Hope your day gets better, though.” 

This must not have been the answer she was looking for because she blinked at him, as if she thought he was joking. But before she could get another word in, he turned on his heels and headed back to his table, still trying to figure out why he went out of his way to make her feel better.

It wasn’t because Zuko himself wasn’t a decent person but unless it was someone he was close with, he didn’t engage with anyone. He didn’t _do_ socializing, not since he left his father’s home all those years ago. People either knew who he was or they saw the scar and already assumed his personality. It was easier to let people think what they wanted instead of correcting every single one of them. So going out of his way to make this woman feel better was a puzzle he was trying to solve.

Plus, it was widely known that he didn’t have a soulmate mark and that was really what drove everyone away. Everyone had a mark - whether they were lovers, family, or a friend. But he didn’t have one and it had its disadvantages. People assumed this meant he wasn’t capable of love, of any feelings but anyone who knew him personally would know this was far from the truth. He did love; he knew what he felt for his mother, his uncle, and even his sister was _love_.

Spirits, if that was the true meaning behind not having a mark, his father would definitely not have had one.

Then again, that man had burned his mark soon to manipulate his mother. Zuko was often bitter about this - his father, a man who had done many horrifying deeds, was blessed with a soulmate mark and he wasn’t.

But Zuko started to accept this as him being able to make his own choices. Everyone focused so much on their marks, on finding their mates, and since he didn’t have one, it felt freeing. He didn’t have to wonder who had his matching sign, who the spirits choose to be his other half. 

At the same time, he couldn’t help how alone he felt whenever he witnessed soulmates' first interaction with each other. It always left a hollow feeling of yearning in his chest and a sense of lingering sadness.

There wasn’t much he could do about the mark but he hoped to find someone to share his life with.

As he picked up his bag, ready to leave, he glanced over his shoulder at her, surprised when he caught her questioning gaze on him. But when he saw the slow flush of her cheeks, he quirked one side of lips.

Giving her a single wave, he made his way out of the cafe, wondering if she found her soulmate. 

-

_Those without the soul mark on their skin have a mark unlike any other. For their mark is branded in their souls, in their essence, it breathes with them, lives with them, thrives with them. The markless are handmade from the spirits themselves, crafted so delicately, so elegantly, and so perfect, they live many, many lives. Their departure of the world, a time of mourning, a time of unease. Their reunion the beginning of a time, a turn in events that in turn, create other events, the balance righted once again. They are time, both endless and limited. They are love, heartbreak, anguish, and happiness. Each life, they are destined to meet, to clash in a ray of colors so magnificent, the world is forced to stop and watch._

_The markless are precious, a bond much greater than the marked and for this, they must be cherished. Their lives are linked, one cannot live without the other. And for this reason, they have been lives where they miss one another, where one meets a tragic and as linked souls, the other must follow soon after for like the moon, it cannot live without the sun._

_There will come a time, when the world forgets about the markless, forgets about the greatest of their bond, the breathlessness of their reunion. They’ll emerge then, in a world unaware of them, unaware of their souls. Their tale one that will be spoke about for as long as history shall write._

_For they are the Twin Flames._


	2. Chapter 2

For some reason unbeknownst to her, Katara couldn’t get the stranger out of her mind. It’s been two weeks since the encounter at the coffee shop and she still found her mind wandering towards him.

It was odd - he hadn’t expected anything out of her when he gave her the iced coffee and the cupcake. She wasn’t trying to seem pretentious or anything but many men who gave her such things unprompted usually tried to get her into their beds. So she was wary when a man she never met before was suddenly giving her something. It seemed like he simply bought her those things just for the simple reason of hoping it cheered her up.

And begrudgingly, it did put a little light in her otherwise bleak day.

What she couldn’t figure out is why he was still popping up in her thoughts from time to time.

His golden eyes and dark hair that looked so soft flashed in her mind and she thought she was going crazy. He was also wearing a burgundy button-up shirt with his sleeves rolled back and a pair of dark pants that fit so nicely on him, Katara thought it should have been illegal. 

It was because of his good looks, she decided. That was the reason why she couldn’t get him out of her head. 

“You should have gotten his number.”

Groaning, Katara shook her head as she fell on her bed face down. “Suki, he didn’t even ask for my name.”

Suki had stopped by her place unexpectedly and demanded to know what was on her mind that was making her more frazzled minded than usual. Unable to hide it any longer, Katara blurted the first thing on her mind. Which was _‘a guy_ ’ and of course, being the great friend she was, Suki drilled her for every single detail.

“And we live in the city of Ba Sing Se - there are millions of people here.” She continued, surprised by how sad she sounded. For Tu’ sake, when did she get so hung up on a guy she didn’t know? 

Is it possible that it was due to having gone without the companion of a partner for more than a year?

Blinking, she raised her head up and narrowed her eyes at her friend. “He looked about your age - that would mean he probably goes to our university, right?”

“There are plenty of people my age who don’t go to our university.”

Letting out a strangled sigh, Katara let her head fall.

-

Katara didn’t have a mark.

She hid this, though. Not because she was embarrassed but because of the fear that was instilled in her when she was younger. She loves her family wholeheartedly but once she overhead the concern in her parents’ voice when she was younger, she decided to not expose herself.

At first, they believed it was small and would grow over time, which is common. But this wasn’t the case for Katara. She is a junior in university and still has not received a soulmate mark. It worked great for her when she just wanted a fling. 

They never lasted long, not with her partners moving on to find their other half. She was always just a little bit bitter about it but at the same time, it was relieving to know she wasn’t bound to another person. She always wondered why she didn’t have a soulmate mark but on days when she witnessed what losing a soulmate did, she was grateful. People often time lost themselves and went through a long period of depression. 

This happened to her brother when her brother’s ex-girlfriend was killed in a car accident a few years ago. He was devastated, a hollow of himself and it pained Katara to know she couldn’t do much to help him. He threw himself into his study and work, hardly ever coming back home.

But one day, Sokka was home before her - a rarity at the time. He was sitting on their couch, staring at his arm with a strange look. Wondering what caught his attention, she dropped her bag and made her way towards him.

When he showed her, she was shocked. He had another mark- another _soulmate mark._

Katara was happy for her brother. If anyone deserved another soulmate, it was him. But that was uncommon within itself. It changed him; he was home more often and a week after the discovery, she heard him laugh for the first time in so long.

After a few weeks, he confessed to her how on that day, he didn’t feel the heaviness of the sadness like he usually did. It was strange to him. Ever since Yue had left this world, he couldn’t feel much but when he woke up, it was with thoughts of getting coffee with Katara - something he used to enjoy.

He couldn’t figure out what changed until he stepped into the shower. As he was reaching to turn the water on, he caught the sight of something unfamiliar on the inside of his forearm. Having one of his own, he knew it was a soulmate mark right away. 

Their family joked about them being special - with one sibling having no mark and another having _two,_ they made quite the pair of siblings. Especially when Sokka met his new soulmate a year later.

She met Suki in one of her upperclassman courses. They clicked instantly and one day, Sokka had stopped by the library to pick Katara up. Katara never asked Suki about her mark but when the brown-eyed girl glanced at her brother to introduce herself, she froze. Katara wasn’t sure what was going on until she looked over at her brother. 

It was by pure coincidence that her new friend was brother’s soulmate.

It was on days when she was feeling lonely, when she thought of her brother and Suki, she wished there was someone out there for her. 

But it was a midterm week and she couldn’t spend all her time thinking about a golden-eyed stranger and the mark she doesn’t have. Sighing, she rose from her bed. If she wanted to grab a table at the school library, forcing herself to get ready at a time she considered cursed. 

Making herself some tea, she poured it into her favorite to-go cup and closed the door behind her as she left. She didn’t bother grabbing a jacket - the weather was cool today as they get closer to the colder season and she loved every moment of it.

Despite being here for the past couple of years, she could not get used to how humid and warm Ba Sing Se was for the majority of the year. She was certain the library building would have the heat blasting anyways and if she really couldn’t stand it, she lived within walking distance.

She only had two exams to worry about but there were for her easier classes. Despite living on her own, Katara liked the atmosphere the library gave. It always made her feel more productive and usually, she had her friends around her. 

Just as she entered the building, her phone in her hand ready to send a text to her friend Ty Lee, her eyes spotted an empty spot in the corner of the big room. Sending a quick message, she quickly moved towards the table, letting out a sigh of relief when she was able to get to it with no interruption. 

Setting down her things, Katara pulled her laptop out of her bag. Ty Lee lived near the campus as well and know it wouldn’t take her long to come by. 

Content to work alone in the meantime, she wasn’t aware of anything going on around her. For some reason though, after half an hour in on doing an assignment, she glanced up. She wasn’t sure what compelled her to do so - her noise cancelation headphones meant she couldn’t hear anything. 

The moment her eyes landed on a student sitting a few tables down, she sucked in a sharp breath. She couldn’t see his face clearly but from what she could see, Katara was certain she knew who it was. What were the possibilities that she would run into him again, that he would be sitting in the same library she was?

She knew staring was rude but she couldn’t stop. The man who managed to occupy her mind the past couple of weeks was only a handful of tables over. And if she wasn’t paying close attention to him, she wouldn’t notice the way he stiffened and just as she was sure he was going to turn around, her view of him was blocked.

“Hey, ‘Tara!” The interruption grinned, setting her bag in front of her.

Flicking her eyes up to her friend, Katara hoped she didn’t notice her staring intensely at the man. Rolling her eyes fondly, Katara snorted. “You took your sweet time, Ty.”

“You can’t rush beauty,” she winked before sitting down but from the way her eyes glittered with curiosity, Katara knew she was caught. “Something catch your attention?”

Shaking her head, Katara turned to her laptop. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“I saw you.”

“Of course you see me,” flipping through her textbook lazily, she hoped to look unbothered. “You’re sitting in front of me.”

Hearing no response from her friend, Katara glanced up. Furrowing her eyebrows, she wasn’t liking the mischievous smirk on her lips. Opening her mouth to try and talk her down from whatever she was planning, her jaw remained dropped when Ty Lee suddenly stood up and made her way _towards_ the too attractive for his own good student. Katara couldn’t help but gape as she watched her speak to him with such ease and he was _talking back_ like he knew her.

She couldn’t hear what they were talking about but soon enough, Zuko was packing up and Katara felt herself start to panic, only to feel ridiculous for freaking out.

Since when did she get so flustered over someone? _Get a handle of yourself, woman,_ she mentally scolded herself as she looked at the notes in front of her. She wasn’t going to make a fool out of herself but she will murder Ty Lee once she was able to get her alone.

“It was nice seeing you again!” 

Her friend’s voice floated to her and Katara allowed herself a brief glance, her breath staggering when the gaze she locked with weren’t brown but a brilliant honey one. 

“Oh, this my friend Katara.” Ty Lee spoke up right next to her but Katara couldn’t break the stare to look at her.

Then he smirked and suddenly, Katara could breathe again. But then when she heard him say her name, it air threatened to leave her right then. 

“Katara,” he spoke slowly and a tremble went through her at how lovely it sounded coming from him. “What a coincidence.”

Taking in a deep breath, she mustered up as much bluster as she could and leaned back on her chair. Lips curling, she tilted her head. “Running into you twice? My, what are the chances.”

“Tara, this is Zuko.” Ty Lee sounded amused and if it wasn’t for the way he was looking at her, Katara would have glared at her.

 _Zuko._ The name fitted him well. She raised an eyebrow and gave him a coy smile. “I don’t think I thanked you for the coffee, Zuko.”

“Looks like you’re having a better day - I’ll take that as a ‘thank you’,” he winked at her before finally breaking their eye contact to glance over at Ty Lee. “Good to see you again, Lee-ah.” As he made his way towards the doors, he threw a wolfish grin over his shoulder at Katara and she felt warm wash through her from it.

“See you around, Kat.”

And with that, like the way he showed up suddenly in her life, he was gone.

“Katara, what in Agni’s name was that?”

Unable to look away from the doors that lead outside, she was breathless when she answered.

" _Spirits,_ I have no idea.”


	3. Chapter 3

After the encounter with the strange, yet ridiculously handsome. man Katara couldn't concentrate on her school work. And with the way Ty Lee was buzzing, it was only a matter of time before she interrogated her.

Sighing, Katara stood up and started to pack her stuff, secretly hoping her friend would stay. But when she started packing up excitedly, Katara resided to her fate. 

Just as Katara expected, the moment they entered her apartment, Ty Lee didn't hesitate to start pestering her.

“Katara.”

“No.”

“I’ll give him your number.”

“Don’t,” she grimaced, shaking both her friend and bag off her shoulders. “What good could come out of it? We’ll probably talk for a couple of weeks until he finds his soulmate and I will be left with the short end of the stick.”

“Wait,” Ty Lee leaned away, her eyebrows raised. “You don’t know who he is?”

Frowning, Katara stared at her friend weirdly. If she did know who he was, why would she have gone through the trouble of accepting the fact that she might never run into him again? When she said just as much, her friend started giggling, much to her annoyance.

Crossing her arms, she scowled. “If you’re going to make fun of me, you can go ahead and leave.”

“No, no,” stifling the last bits of her laughter, the grey-eyed girl sat down on the couch, a twinkle in her eyes that had Katara narrowing her eyes. “I’m sorry. It’s just - I thought everyone knew him.”

Just as she opened her mouth to explain that, clearly, not everyone knew who he was, there was a knock at the door. Katara didn’t remember anyone asking to come over but by the way Ty Lee lit up, she had a feeling she knew who was behind the door.

Knowing she would be quickly outnumbered, Katara dragged herself to it and opened it with her head hung low. “Please, spare me.”

“No can do, darling.” Suki's laughter rang throughout the apartment as she stepped in, closely followed by another girl.

“We got the S.O.S; who are we beating up?” Toph called out, plopping herself next to Ty Lee and propped her feet on the table. 

“There’s no one to beat up,” the owner of the apartment muttered as she closed the door, hoping that was the actual reason for this meetup. That, she would pick over talking about her nonexistent love life any day. 

Acting as if she didn’t hear her, the grey-eyed girl spoke up. “You won’t believe who we ran into!”

“By the way she’s blushing, I have a feeling.” Katara loved Suki but with the way she was grinning at her knowingly, she was willing to take that back. 

Katara sighed and slumped back into her seat. Whenever these three team up, there was no hope for her. And since she broke up with her previous boyfriend over a year ago, they have been insisting she looked for someone. And it wasn’t like the idea wasn’t tempting - she just had other things to focus on. Plus, finding someone who didn’t care about the fact she was markless was difficult. Why stress over it unnecessarily?

Suki dropped her bag and walked over to the couch. Katara didn’t like the playful smile on her lips very much. “Was it mister ‘can’t get out of my head’?”

Scowling, the blue-eyed eyed crossed her arms. Even if she denied it, she knew Suki wouldn’t believe her. Plus, with the perky girl next to her bobbing her head in agreement, there was no way Katara would be able to hide. “This is my apartment and I will kick you all out.”

Ty Lee rolled her eyes and threw an arm around her. “He called you Kat.”

“Wait, I thought you only ran into him once?”

“I did!” Katara complained. “I only ever met him that one time in the coffee shop!”

“You also flirted with him.”

Throwing her hands up in the air, Katara huffed. “That wasn’t flirting.”

Holding a finger up, Toph, who had been quiet thus far, snorted. "Are you saying Katara, the 'no one is worthy of my time', Katara flirted with someone? Who is this man and when will we get to meet him?"

The grey-eyed woman grinned. "You won’t believe it. It’s Zuko.” 

Eyeing her companions warily, she sat up from her slouched position. Know that she thought of it, the name does sound familiar. But when Suki’s eyes widened with recognition and Toph made a sound of surprise, Katara wondered what exactly she was missing. 

“No way - Zuko Sozin?” 

_ Sozin?  _ Jaw dropped, Katara stared at her friends. No way - was that man the son of Sozin Law Firm? “Sozin, as in Sozin Law Firm?” 

Nodding her head, Ty Lee poked her arm, a smile on her lips. “Yup! And since he is my childhood friend, I have his number.”

“I haven’t seen him in a while, I wonder how he’s doing.” Toph mused before shaking her head. “Anyways, how did you not recognize him? Everyone knows about the scar on his face.”

Oftentimes, Katara forgot how blunt Toph could be and it was moments like this where she was reminded of it. Besides, it wasn’t that Katara didn’t register the scar, but for some reason, it was something she didn’t think of bringing up. People probably identified him by his scar and she didn’t want to be one of them. Also, it seemed incredibly rude to bluntly as if anyone recognized a man with a large scar on the side of his face and she told them just as much.

Shrugging her shoulder, Toph waved her hand at her. “Zuko already knows everyone talks about it. It probably would have saved us hours of hearing you talk about him for the past two weeks.”

“Also, you guys could have been talking by now!” Suki exclaimed, placing her hands on her friend’s shoulder. “He’s in one of my classes and I can tell you he is an absolute sweetheart.”

“His dad is a total dick but he’s pretty cool,” Toph added. “And I can speak from personal experience.”

It unnerved her, how this man was already part of her friends’ lives. And since they  _ all  _ seemed to harbor positive feelings towards him, Katara was starting to feel better about how he was constantly in her thoughts. That she does(slightly, maybe, okay most definitely) did want to get to know him better. If only because for some reason, he has managed to catch her attention. 

But to know he was the son of the previous CEO of Sozin Law Firm… 

It was the law firm that had helped her mother’s murder escape justice. It would have been a dealbreaker; it was weird she was still thinking of him knowing he was the son of the man who let her nightmare roam free. But she knew, well, as much as what the news was saying back then, that the children of Ozai were subjected to abuse at the hand of him. She couldn’t fault him for his father’s mistakes.

Furrowing her eyebrows, Katara frowned. “Wait, you all know him?” She asked, wanting to confirm.

“Azula is his sister.” Ty Lee confessed. 

“And all rich kids know each other.” Toph shrugged.

“But guys,” shoulder slumping, Katara sighed. “I don’t want to get my hopes up, especially when he’ll eventually go looking for his soulmate.”

It had happened multiple times already and she wasn’t prepared to get her heartbroken again. If she doesn’t stop her sudden attraction to Zuko now while it was just starting to take root in her heart, she would inevitably set herself up for heartbreak.

But then Toph made a sound of disbelief and Ty Lee smacked her forehead, both actions startling Katara.

“Why didn’t we think of this earlier?” The shortest girl groaned, dropping her head back.

Ty Lee began shaking her head, muttering; “How did we not make the connection?” 

Confused, she looked at Suki, relieved to know she wasn’t the only thrown off guard. It was her that spoke up for them both.

“What are you two talking about?”

The grin Ty Lee gave was not one Katara liked to see often. “You’re not the only one we know who is markless.”

Sucking in a sharp breath, Katara felt everything go still, unable to believe the words she just heard. But Toph, unaware(or maybe she was and doesn’t care) of her sudden incapability to breathe, finished what Ty Lee started.

“Zuko is also markless.”

“So that means,” Suki breathed, her eyes shining as she turned back to the blue-eyed woman. “He won’t be looking for a soulmate.”

“Oh no,” Katara whispered, knowing her friends were going to try their best to set them up.

Giggling with glee, Ty Lee grabbed her phone. “Oh yes.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> okay so i know i'm a day behind but! I did write yesterday but it was for a different fic because it's more of a comfort fic for me since I was super anxious about the US elections. Unfortunately, a winner has still not been declared. And it's making me nervous. Anyways, thank you for reading!


	4. Chapter 4

“What’s on your mind, Zuzu?”

He could tell her but then that would mean he would have to suffer the consequences of doing so. Azula could be relentless when she smelled blood but when he saw the arch of her perfectly shaped eyebrow, Zuko knew a lost battle when he saw one.

He also knew that just earlier, she was talking to Ty Lee on the phone.

Sighing, he leaned back against his couch. “I heard you talking to Ty Lee earlier.”

Her knowing look was enough to let him know that was intentional. “I know, I made sure you did and she told me something very interesting.”

Crossing his arms, he tried to come off aloof. “Is that so? What did she tell you?”

“Don’t act coy, Zuzu,” she sniffed before sliding down next to him. “It doesn’t look good on you. Anyways,” she waved her phone and he was wary by the mirth in her eyes.

He should have escaped when he could because she chose that moment to show him exactly what was on it.

It was a picture.

Of her.

_ Katara. _

Too caught off guard to continue his facade, his eyes were drawn to the screen, drawn to the woman who has been on his mind for the past few weeks. It was a candid picture of her - she was smiling off to the side, dressed in a large sapphire dress. 

“I knew it.”

Snapping his gaze away from her phone, he grimaced, knowing he was caught. Closing his eyes, he leaned his head back, ready for the confrontation that was about to happen.

“You have a crush.”

“It’s not a crush.”

“Zuzu is in love.”

“ _ Azula _ ,” he groaned, dragging a hand down his face, exasperated. “I am not in love with Katara.”

“I guess the fact that she’s single won’t change your mind, huh?”

He paused and that was his second mistake because  _ Azula knew. _

But he couldn’t help it - he never thought he had an actual chance with her. It was a miracle itself he ran into her again in this big city of Ba Sing Se. But to also be friends with someone he knew? It almost felt as if fate had a hand in it and that was what worried Zuko the most. He didn’t want to get attached to someone, only to have them leave him in the end to find their other half.

He was the only one he knew who didn’t have a soulmark - it was almost painful to get his hopes up now.

“I wasn’t going to tell you this but you look so pathetic right now,” she shook her head. “Katara doesn’t have a soulmark.”

His breath caught in his throat, jerking his attention to his sister with his jaw dropped. He couldn’t have possibly heard that correctly - no soulmark? What were the chances the woman who caught his attention was without one?

And he was almost convinced Azula was messing with him, pulling a cruel prank but then he saw the way her eyes softened.  _ She wasn’t lying _ .

“No soulmark?” He whispered, still unable to believe it. “Someone else besides me?”

“You can ask her yourself. I’m going to be a good sister for a moment,” she scrunched her nose before straightening up. “Don’t just hang out with her because she has no soulmark. Or don’t trick yourself into liking her. Now,” she hopped off the couch and dusted her pants. “Enough with the deep talk, we have people to meet up with later.”

He stared at her, lips twitching in amusement. When they were younger, they didn’t have the best of relationships. But since their father was thrown in prison all those years ago, they have worked on it and Zuko couldn’t have been happier for it. 

Then her words hit him and he felt the amusement drain from him, only to be replaced by suspicion. “What do you mean we’re meeting up with people? Today is our off day from the company.”

“Oh dearest brother,” she flipped her hair over her shoulder before crossing her arms, mischief glinting in her eyes. “Must you ask so many questions? There’s a new pair of clothes in your closet - make sure to wear those. Mahogany really brings out the color of your eyes.”

With that said, she headed towards the door, throwing a smirk over her shoulder at him. “I’m taking your car to get coffee.”

Before Zuko had the chance to comprehend what was said, the front door slammed closed.

Groaning, he slumped against the couch. He didn’t realize his brief interaction with Katara the other day would lead to  _ Azula  _ mending into his non-existent love life. Though, should he have been surprised? Ty Lee was there that day and he knew those two never held anything back from each other. So, really, he should have prepared himself for this.

For the fact that his sister and her friends were trying to set him up.

This wasn’t the first time but then Zuko remembered her words. That Katara was markless, just like him. She didn’t have a soulmate. If Zuko did get to know her, ended up falling for her, then she wouldn’t leave him to find her soulmate.

But the other thing Azula said rang in his head. If they did end up together, would it be because they felt like they had no other option? That because we both don’t have soulmate marks, then we were  _ settling  _ for each other? If that would be the case, he would rather keep her at arm's length.

Especially considering he probably had a crush on her. A small one but a crush nonetheless. How else could he explain the lingering thoughts of her, the urge to see her again, and how hearing her name buried itself in his chest? He was already hooked before he knew about her.

Sighing, he rose from his spot. Knowing Azula, he only had so long to get ready. And if their conversation from earlier was anything to go by, he had a pretty reasonable idea on who they were going to meet.

The thought of meeting Katara again sent a wave of jitters through him. It was one thing to run into her with only Ty Lee as a witness but more people? He was going to make a full of himself, he just knew it. Then Katara wouldn’t want to see him again and he wasn’t sure he would be able to handle that. But then, the two interactions he had with her, he hadn’t felt nervous. Or really thought about what he said. If anything, a wave of calm washed over him.

He felt at  _ ease  _ and he couldn’t believe he hadn’t noticed this earlier. It was probably why he was able to talk to her without much worry. Talking to any potential lover, he was usually tripping over his words more times than not. Which must be why his sister was so spirit-bent on getting them together. She wouldn’t want to miss a chance to see him mess up.

“This is going to be a disaster,” he muttered as he stepped into the shower. The one time he ended up not minding his business, ended up giving a stranger a cup of coffee, and it landed him here. Getting dressed to meet with him.

Though, Zuko mused as he was pulling the clothes out of the closet, since it was  _ Katara,  _ he wasn’t complaining. He just hoped it would go smoothly. And maybe get her number out of this. And even if they don’t get together, then they could remain as just friends. From his brief interactions, she was someone he wanted in his life.

Just as he was finished slipping his shoes on, his phone went off. Looking at the name flashing on it, he rolled his eyes. 

“I’m ready, ‘zula.”

“ _ Good. Did you see the cologne I pulled out for you? _ ”

She was pretty invested in this. Shaking his head, he closed his door and started heading towards the parking lot. “I did. You do realize I can get myself ready, right?”

“ _ I’ll admit you do have a decent sense of style but Ty Lee said Katara couldn’t stop talking about that specific cologne. You must have worn it both times you saw her.” _

Pausing in his steps, the information wedged itself into his soul. Did this mean she talked about him just as often as he talked about her? The mere  _ thought  _ of that was sending his heart racing and  _ was it possible? _

_ “Hello? Earth to Zuko? How long are you planning on keeping me waiting?” _

“Uh, yeah, I…” he forced himself to breathe, to  _ move _ . “I’m on my way.”

_ “You must be whipped. I’ve never seen you this flustered-” _

“ _ Goodbye,  _ Azula.” Muttering, he hung up on her and immediately felt silly for doing so. She was going to be in the car with him and Agni knew it would give her enough time to tease him.  As the car came in sight, he let out a sigh when he noticed she moved into the passenger seat. At least she let him have a bit of his dignity left.

Slipping into the driver's seat, he did his best to avoid her pointed stare. But Azula wasn’t one to simply brush things away. No, now that she knew her brother had a crush, she wasn’t going to leave him alone.

“For what it’s worth, I think you two would be great for each other.”

_ That _ , he hadn’t been expecting. Whipping his head towards her, he raised his lone eyebrow. “What?”

This time,  _ she  _ rolled her eyes. “I’m not repeating myself.”

He continued to stare, wondering if maybe he did hallucinate. Azula has never said anything remotely like that in regards to any of his past lovers. If she was saying that about Katara, did she really mean it?

“Stop looking at me like that.”

“I just…” he trailed off as he finally pulled out of the lot. “Did you really say that?”

“I’ve met her before. Hell, we’re what you would call friends and-”

“Wait, you  _ know _ her?”

She let out a huff and he didn’t even need to see her to know she was scowling at him. “Don’t interrupt me or I’m going to take everything back.”

He couldn’t help himself - he didn’t realize his sister knew Katara. Zuko assumed she knew her by association. But instead of asking the questions on the tip of his tongue, he kept quiet, knowing Azula was going to finish what she was saying.

“She’s a good person, Zuko. Even helped me ask out my girlfriend. So, if you two  _ do  _ end up dating, I want you to know that I would fully support it.” 

Left speechless, Zuko continued to drive. He was left stunned - she never said anything like this before. And her support wasn’t  _ necessary  _ but to know that she would approve of them, he felt his heart soften. 

“Thank you, Azula,” he finally said, a small smile tugging at his lips.

“Don’t mention it. Like seriously, don’t.”

_ Ah, there she was. _

Chuckling, he turned into the apartment complex that Ty Lee lived in and felt the nerves come back.

“Here we are. And you’re lucky.” Hopping out of the car, Azula fixed up her already perfect hair, her lips curling. “She’s not here yet. Apparently, there  _ is  _ someone who takes longer to get dressed than you.”

Letting out a slow breath, Zuko stepped out of his car, trying to find the confidence to face the woman of his thoughts again. Coming around the car, she stopped right next to Azula.

“Don’t fuck this up, Zuzu.”

Snorting, Zuko took the first steps towards the apartment. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so i failed at nano month, lmaoo but hey, this story isn't gonna be abandoned, haha. comments and kudos are always appreciated!

**Author's Note:**

> this is my piece for nano month! since it's my first time participating, i hope i can keep up with the daily updates. i'm laadychat on tumblr! <3 have a great day!


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